K & L's Travel Blog

Our first errand was to buy some sausage for a meal. The store was as much a destination as the meat. It’s across from this elegant square and church, María del Mar. We took a turn through the church, marveling at the carved flagstones. I thought it might mean patronage—donations made in others’ names. Kitty thought there might be people buried under there. Either is possible. A Momento Mori either way.

One of the wonderful things about Barcelona is the “Menú del Día.” On our food tour last year we were told that that Franco insisted that restaurants must provide a reasonably  priced menu for the “working man.” [Lorena notes that this practice is common throughout Europe and hesitates to give Franco credit for anything]. This menu includes two courses, bread, beverage and sweet. There is a Catalan restaurant on the street level of our apartment building, “Al Grano Mercat.”  The menu of the day is 11 EUR (12 USD). I get Lorena to take a picture of the day’s menu and go up to our apartment and translate before we descend below to partake.  Even with the prep that are surprises.  Lorena picks the what I thought was regular pork and it fried pig’s belly is in a black bun with two sauces: done sweet and the other mustard.  My grilled smoke vegetables are wonderful.  I get a chicken thigh with yuca, and Lorena a beefsteak with carrots and broccoli. All beautiful prepared.  But the real star was the dessert, Tiramisu.  What delight. The whipped cream was stiff and rich, the coffee’s flavoring on the layer cake was intense. Somehow different but familiar.  The staff were proud and attentive.  We left inspired to put in a review on Trip Advisor. I declare ”we could eat here every day!” but Lorena is hesitant to commit to this plan.

There’s a bodega (wine store)  across the street that we visited about 3 years ago. It was dark and very dirty and an ancient lady presided over huge casks of wine and a few old men stood around wooden casks and smoked drank. Very intimidating! She sold us plastic coke bottle full of cheap wine–about $2.00 a liter. Rough stuff, but authentically charming in its own way. It has been closed for a few years, but now a new bodega, much more uptown, has opened, apparently choosing to keep some of the old casks. It’s been a fantasy of mine to return this spot, and we had our chance after grocery shopping tonight. Not nearly as intimidating, but fun. Then onto a late dinner–after 10:00–of duck and vegetables.  We are almost superseding BCN time!